This seems appropriate to begin Independence Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIcOMR2kCI

This being Independence Day, you wouldn’t think there would be many music anniversaries today. I love this one, though: WOWO radio in Fort Wayne, Ind., celebrated the nation’s 153rd birthday by burning its transmitter to the ground.

Independence Day 1970 was not a holiday for Casey Kasem, who premiered “America’s Top 40”:

Birthdays (besides non-rockers Stephen Foster and Louis Armstrong) include Bill Withers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIdIqbv7SPo

Al “Blind Owl” Wilson of Canned Heat …

… was born the same day as Dave Rowberry of the Animals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmdPQp6Jcdk

Jeremy Spencer of the blues incarnation of Fleetwood Mac:

Ralph Johnson played drums for Earth Wind & Fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTQJ2QiK4QU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jLGa4X5H2c

Kirk Pengilly of INXS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG6GnPU8CRM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oRI1-PznQw